Ingersol
April 7 [?]

My dear Papa

I received Mamma's letter with your note yesterday and was very sorry to find that you had sent no money for I am in great need of it at present. You must really send me $15 by the end of this week. If you do not, I shall be tempted to do something desperate. There is a person here who offers good pay for joining the American army. I am half tempted to go over there in hopes of getting the berth of hospital steward. Besides a day after I wrote you before my friend that I was stopping with got the [?] and I felt myself in the way, so expecting $10 from you as soon as your letter arrived I removed to a quiet tavern? in town so now I owe for a weeks board besides a pair of boots I bought before leaving Caldwell expecting to pay for them when my wages come due. Mamma says it is rather strange that I should want money when I had my wages coming to me. You will recollect that I got a suit of clothes last fall, the only suit worth anything I have, and Mr. C. advanced me $12 to pay for the cloth and at $30 a year it would take nearly six months to pay for it so I left actually without a cent in my pocket and if I do not get $13 dollars from you by Friday I shall probably be obliged to leave and go God knows where. I owe $5 for the boots and will by the time I hear form you about $8 for Board besides sundry other little depts. And my passage money Mr. Caldwell when I left he offered me the passage money but I would not take any favours from him at the time but I should not wonder if I should be back there yet. Mr. Kneeshaw is to give me an answer in a day or two. If he goes to Hamilton I am sure of a job and there is one or two other situations I am [?] looking out for so you must send me $15 if you think anything of your son any more. If you could send me 20 I should feel independent. As soon as I see that there is 20. I will return home and I shall be decided by the time your letter arrives to crown ale I have not been very well for the last two or three days. You see yourself the fit I am in so sent me $20 by Friday.

[?] believe me your affectionate son, Donald M. Forbes

I wrote this in the Tavern with a miserable old pen that I picked up not having a copper to buy another